LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The Ohio State Highway Patrol wants to remind motorists to watch out for school buses and students this school year.
Since 2018, there have been over 6,000 traffic crashes involving school buses in the state, with 1,800 injured and 7 killed, but none killed were on a school bus. A reminder that motorists need to stop at least 10 feet before and behind a school bus when the stop arm is out, and the lights are flashing. On two-lane roads, traffic needs to stop in both lanes for school buses. But for four-lane roads, only the lanes facing the same direction as the bus need to stop. But if you see a bus out on the road, troopers say to be prepared.
"I have always approached the school buses, always expecting it to do its job," says Trooper Scott Mershman, Trooper Ohio State Highway Patrol. "Like I said, it has a job to do so it's going to stop at some point here and pick some kids up. So always kind of expect it, if the yellow lights are on, expect that the red lights are going to come on at any time. Prepare yourself to stop, so you don't end up rear-ending the bus, or running the red lights or possibly injuring or even worst, a small child," stated Trooper Scott Mershman, Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Mershman says the biggest violation they see is motorists following too close to buses and troopers will be out looking for violations this school year.
